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Home » City of Cleveland Provides General Updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Protocols - Update #16

City of Cleveland Provides General Updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Protocols - Update #16

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

CLEVELAND – In accordance with Mayor Frank G. Jackson’s Proclamation of Civil Emergency, the City of Cleveland continues to take numerous precautions across multiple departments and divisions amid increasing cases of coronavirus (COVID-19). Click here to view the mayor’s declaration. As a reminder, the State of Ohio’s stay-at-home order will remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. on April 6, 2020. It is important to read the order in entirety.

“The governor’s directive is a critical health safety request to protect those who are most vulnerable to coronavirus and we fully expect Clevelanders will adhere to it, “said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “No one is immune to this virus, keep your social distance and stay home.”

During this time, essential services such as Police, Fire, EMS, waste collection and Utilities are fully operational. There are still limited hours for the public to access some City buildings like City Hall for limited services and the City has moved to an essential workforce until further notice.

The Cleveland Department of Public Health (CDPH) today has been notified of eight more confirmed test results for coronavirus (COVID-19) in residents of the city. This brings the total to 50 confirmed cases. The new cases include males and females, whose ages range from 20’s to 80’s. CDPH is working to identify any close contacts of these residents who would require testing or monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19.

In order to protect the individuals’ privacy, the Cleveland Department of Public Health will not be releasing any additional demographic information related to these new cases.

As of today, there have been more than 63,000 confirmed cases and 800 deaths related to COVID-19 in the United States.

Quarantines and Isolations for Confirmed Cases

The number of isolation and quarantine orders are not routinely reported by health departments. However, isolation orders are easily calculated as those are given to each confirmed case. The number of cases are the same as the number of isolation orders.

Quarantine orders are given to each close contact of the confirmed cases. These orders could potentially range from one or two people to a number in the hundreds as a result of contact tracing and risk stratification. The number of quarantine orders varies with every new case as more information is gathered throughout the investigation.

The two terms have been used somewhat interchangeably in the media, but have different meanings:

Isolation = confirmed case of COVID-19 being asked to separate themselves from others until they have recovered.

Quarantine = a close contact with (exposure to) a confirmed case of COVID-19 being asked to separate themselves from others and self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days

Cleveland Department of Public Safety

Police:

As part of the Cleveland Division of Police response to the COVID-19 pandemic, measures have been enacted in order to reduce the spread of the virus, reduce the threat of exposure to officers and citizens and to ensure that critical services can be maintained. Officers will continue to enforce laws and codified ordnances, but will limit non-essential contacts and will not cite for administrative violations (e.g., recently expired driver’s license, expired vehicle registrations) due to the closure of most Ohio BMV offices. Officers will continue to issue a summons in lieu of arrest for non-violent misdemeanor offenses.

Calling for Emergency/Safety Services:

Division of Public Safety call takers and dispatchers in the Communications Control Section will be asking callers health related questions in an effort to alert first responders to the possibility of contact with COVID-19 patients and to the need to utilize personal protective equipment. Callers will be asked if they are infected with COVID-19 or have been in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 or if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms.

Callers may be asked if they have a fever, shortness of breath or a cough. Callers may be asked to meet first responders outside of their homes or to make a police report via phone or online. These questions will be asked as emergency services are being dispatched and should not delay any call for service for emergencies. These measures are enacted to ensure the safety of first responders so that they can stay healthy and continue to provide emergency services.

Department of Public Utilities

As a reminder, the drinking water is safe. While business is operating as normal, the Public Utilities Building is closed to the public. Cleveland Water customers can make payments and manage their account at myclevelandwater.com, by calling (216) 664-3130. Questions can be submitted via the inquiry form at clevelandwater.com/ask-a-question. CPP customers can make payments and manage their account at cpp.org. Inquiries and questions can be submitted via www.cpp.org/Contact

Cleveland Water and CPP customers may also use the dropbox located at 1201 Lakeside. Please include name and account number along with payment. Multiple accounts must be on separate checks.

To date:

CPP has reconnected 59 total customers

CWD has reconnected 507 total customers

State Guidelines

View and download the Director’s Order and FAQ sheet from the governor’s office with additional information on the stay-at-home order. It is important to read the order in entirety.

Amended House Bill 197:The house voted to extend the mail-in ballot period for the primary election to April 28 and extend the state’s income tax return deadline to July 15, among other provisions. Request a ballot by calling 216-443-VOTE. View the bill summary with additional provisions here.

Code Red

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The City of Cleveland is committed to improving the quality of life of its residents by strengthening neighborhoods, delivering superior services, embracing diversity and making Cleveland a desirable, safe city in which to live, work, play, and do business. For more information on the City of Cleveland, visit online at www.clevelandohio.gov, Twitter at @cityofcleveland, Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofcleveland, or on our blog at clecityhall.com.

We are committed to improving the quality of life in the City of Cleveland by strengthening our neighborhoods, delivering superior services, embracing the diversity of our citizens, and making Cleveland a desirable, safe city in which to live, work, raise a family, shop, study, play and grow old.